Crime · Charleston, SC
Teen Charged After Shooting Friend in Face at Charleston Apartment Complex
Charleston Police responded to a downtown apartment complex around 1 p.m. Friday after 14-year-old Derrick Simmons was shot twice—once in the face, losing his left eye, and once in the shoulder. Officers say the teen and a 17-year-old friend were handling a gun when the older teen pointed it at Simmons and fired. The 17-year-old admitted to the shooting and was charged with assault and battery of a high and aggravated nature, possession of a firearm during the commission of a violent crime, and possession of a firearm under 18. He was booked into the South Carolina Department of Juvenile Justice. Charleston Police youth outreach staff urged gun owners to secure firearms, noting that unlocked vehicles are a primary source of teen access to guns.